Welcome To ​Iowa Juneteenth Observance

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration that commemorates the June 19th, 1865 announcement of the abolition of slavery in the United States of America.

​The Iowa Juneteenth Observance has been in existence for 29 years, and was founded by Gary Lawson in 1990. On April 11, 2002 the Iowa Juneteenth holiday was made an official holiday. It is our desire to promote the "spirit" of Juneteenth throughout the year.

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Our Mission

The primary mission of the Iowa Juneteenth Observance is to educate Iowans on the history of Juneteenth and to preserve Juneteenth for future generations to come. In October 2015, The Des Moines Urban Experience received custodianship of this event.

Strategies

The strategies of the Iowa Juneteenth Observance are to present activities via platforms that promote freedom, liberty and responsible citizenship.